Photo Gallery | Red Grange Website
Homecoming 2015 on the University of Illinois campus was the launching point for a new effort to connect fans of the FIGHTING ILLINI with a major part of the school's gridiron history as the personification of the "Galloping Ghost", Red Grange, returned to Memorial Stadium and the UIUC campus.
"We have made a strong effort this season to enliven our football gamedays and engage fans in a more direct way" says Director of Athletics Mike Thomas. "The addition of the 'Red Grange' live character brings this great Fighting Illini tradition to life for fans in Grange Grove, around Memorial Stadium, and in our Illinois Premium Seating Areas. The feedback after the first weekend was outstanding and we look forward to future engagements."
Illinois Student and current MFA candidate Mark Tyler Miller of Seattle, Washington, was selected to play the role of Red Grange following a campus casting call. The premier performance was a part of Homecoming 2015 and will continue at future home football gamedays and at select campus & athletics events.
"I was very excited when selected to play Red Grange," Miller said. "It's a chance to connect in a very unique way with the rich history and legacy held by the University of Illinois."
Milled added that he researched the Fighting Illini legend to help make his portrayal as strong as possible.
"To prepare, I searched for pictures of Red to get a sense of what he looked like. I watched an interview he gave toward the end of his life to get a sense of his personality, and I researched his athletic records and career."
The uniform worn by Miller was custom-made by Andrea Bouck, a UIUC alumna and professional costume designer and crafts artisan based out of Milwaukee Wisconsin. Bouck researched images of Grange in action and then matched those looks with materials to produce an authentic looking 1920's Illinois uniform, including the leather shoulder pads. The total cost of the costume/uniform was $2,500. Only the leather helmet and shoes were not made by Bouck. Those items were purchased separately.
This is the second major tribute to Grange that has launched in 2015. Back in September, "Grange Grove" opened and transformed what was previously Lot 36, the parking lot directly west of Memorial Stadium, into a free, high-energy tailgating area, which Fighting Illini fans of all ages can enjoy.
"We could not have found a better person to play the role than Mark Tyler Miller" added Senior Associate Director of Athletics Mike Waddell, who has developed this project over the past year. "His personality and way with people made our opening weekend with the live character a hit with our fans. Everyone wanted to have a picture taken with him and those pics were all over social media throughout the day. Anytime you can activate a tradition with your fans, it's a major positive."
These are the latest in a series of honors for Grange, who was named as the best college football player of all time by ESPN in 2008 and the Greatest Big Ten Icon of all time by the Big Ten Network in 2011.
• The "Galloping Ghost" Grey Uniforms made their debut in 2014 for the Homecoming victory over Minnesota.
• The north end of Zuppke Field hosts The Grange Rock, which was dedicated on October 22, 1994, with Mrs. Margaret Grange, Red Grange's wife, in attendance. The rock came from the same Indiana quarry that produced the stadium's columns.
• In 2009, a 12-foot statue of Red Grange was dedicated as the capstone of the stadium's "Illinois Renaissance" renovations.
Grange was a charter member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. In 1924, Grange became the first recipient of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football Award award denoting the Big Ten's most valuable player.
In his 20-game college career, Grange ran for 2,071 yards, caught 14 passes for 253 yards, and completed 40-of-82 passes for 575 yards. Of his 31 touchdowns, 16 were from at least 20 yards, with nine from more than 50 yards. He scored at least one touchdown in every game he played but two, both shutout losses in 1925 to Nebraska and Michigan. He earned All-America recognition three consecutive years, and appeared on the October 5, 1925, cover of Time.
Grange's No. 77 was retired by the Fighting Illini in 1925. Only one other number has been retired at Illinois, the No. 50 worn by Dick Butkus.
